Consumption of some foreign fish species who “understood” them Greek seas can be a very significant measure to reduce their population. In recent years, many efforts have been made in this direction, the latest of which COME, AUTHORIZATION and organization World Wildlife Fund and is even accompanied by a valuable biological analysis of four species, which proves that their consumption is beneficial not only for maintaining balance in the marine environment, but also for our body, since they are rich in Ω3 fats.

The (€460,000) NSRF funded program was called 4Alien and aimed to address a major problem of alien species management in the Greek seas. Within the framework of the program, 4 species were examined: lionfish, German, wild salpa and sardelologaurus. “The idea was to study four alien species that create problems in the ecosystem as well as in fisheries,” explains Vula Karele, researcher at ELKETHE and program coordinator. “These are species that can be eaten, but because people do not know about them and there is no demand for them, fishermen throw them away. Chefs in large fine dining restaurants are very interested in exotic species, and we as scientists must pass this knowledge on to those who can put exotic species on our plates.”

A very interesting aspect of the program was the study of the biology of four species. “We studied their body weight, fillet performance, fillet composition and fatty acid composition,” says Kritonas Grigorakis, research director at ELKETHE. “In all four species, the percentage of fillets (that is, pure meat) is large, in sardines, for example, it reaches 50% of the weight. In terms of protein, “four types of fish are equal or even better than filet mignon because they have no carbohydrates and are high in fatty acids (O3 and O6).” As Mr. Grigorakis mentioned, the problem with the average person’s diet is that they get a lot of Ω6 (usually from plant foods) and some Ω3, which is not covered by plant foods. An important part of the research team’s research was also the possibilities of processing four types of fish: the team put forward seven proposals (for example, smoked fillet, smoked pesto, etc.), which received a positive response during the public survey. commercial exploitation margin sign.

“Three out of four species can be caught in large numbers without taking other species,” Ms Carale said. “For example, the sardine is a small pelagic fish that is caught by longline. Today, fishermen lower their nets to ward off anchovies and catch other species such as mackerel and collies. An experienced fisherman knows how to catch them.”

However, some species began to stand out in consumer preferences. “In Cyprus, the German is popular, and in Crete, the lionfish outperforms the scorpionfish. The “mad scientist’s dream” is that in a few years, instead of eating frozen Atlantic sea bass, we will prefer lionfish.